Las Brisas contested case hearing Feb. 17

Hearing for energy plant will be held at city hall

CORPUS CHRISTI - A contested case hearing on Las Brisas Energy Center has been set for Feb. 17 at Corpus Christi City Hall.

The company has applied for an air permit from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and received preliminary approval. The parent company, Chase Power, then asked for the contested case hearing to speed the process. The state has received at least 21 requests for a hearing.

A contested case hearing is similar to a district court proceeding, in which both sides of an issue are presented. The State Office of Administrative Hearings oversees the process and returns a recommendation to environmental commissioners.

Las Brisas is a $3 billion petroleum-coke fired power plant proposed on the Corpus Christi Ship Channel. Emissions listed in its permit application have drawn opposition from a group called Clean Economy Coalition and the Nueces County Medical Society. Las Brisas officials say the plant is cleaner than many of its type and uses the cleanest technology that is also economically viable.

Anyone may attend the hearing and request to be a party, but only people named as parties can participate.

The hearing will be at 10 a.m. Feb. 17 in the sixth floor conference room at City Hall, 1201 Leopard St.

For more information, call the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality at 800-687-4040.